While being physically imprisoned at Charlestown Prison, Malcolm X gains an unparalleled mental freedom through autodidactism. Prior to his imprisonment, Malcolm X was highly limited academically, instead choosing to be “the most articulate hustler out there”. It wasn’t until Malcolm X realized that his ability to get his point across was highly limited by the slang he was accustomed with that he decided to pursue an education in order to obtain a stronger grasp of the English language. Malcolm X combined the prison’s extensive learning resources with his own desire, perseverance, and passion in order to further first his reading and writing skills, then his overall knowledge. Malcolm X could finally “pick up a book and read and begin to understand
